QuantumPlace Developments took a leap forward to get a land use bylaw application into the development authority of Canmore after its Stewart Creek sustainability screening report was approved by council on Tuesday night (Aug. 13).
The 4-2 vote in approval was not without debate, with Councillor Sean Krausert expressing concern about the difference between definitions of visitor accommodation and resort accommodation.
“I think that the problem is that those terms are used interchangeably, but are not interchangeable, they are both defined and they mean different things, one is inclusive of the other,” Krausert said. “This is a loose interpretation and I know this won’t be popular with administration or the applicant, but I feel that we have to honour the wording of the bylaw and if we have a problem, address it.”
Krausert proposed a failed motion to postpone the SSR until administration could provide more information on the different definitions.
Mayor John Borrowman said those concerns are better addressed further in the development permit process and not at an SSR, while Coun. Gordie Miskow said he is concerned about the implications of turning down the application based on wording.
“Once and for all, this SSR process is destroying our financial pyramid of Canmore because we find reasons to turn down developments,” Miskow said. “If we start taking little words and finding reasons to turn down SSRs, someone in the future is going to have some strong work to bring developers back to Canmore.”
Councillors Vi Sandford and Jim Ridley voted against the SSR, both expressing concern about people being so close to a wildlife corridor in an unregulated manner on a year-round basis.
Coun. Hans Helder declared a conflict of interest and did not vote due to his membership at Stewart Creek Golf Course.
The developer’s proposal included a rental pool the units would have to be part of, but it would not have a limit on how long people could stay in the units as it would be designated resort accommodation. It is visitor accommodation that limits length of stay to 30 days in the Town’s planning documents.
QuantumPlace principal Chris Ollenberger said those kinds of restrictions are preventing financing for those wishing to purchase vacation homes, something other Canmore projects have been struggling with for years.
He said that is why the bylaw application that would come after the SSR approval is to designate the proposed units as resort accommodation.
“The intent is that they be used in a rental pool; what we are doing is making sure they can be legally financed,” Ollenberger said, adding even back in 2004 when the Stewart Creek area structure plan (ASP) was being drafted the developer was aware of the financing issue, but didn’t know how to deal with it. “It is financially incentivized already to put it in a rental pool.”
He said it is possible to address concerns of length of stay with caveats on title, instead of in the land use designation.
“I hate to see empty houses anywhere in town,” Ridley said. “If we can encourage or require short-term tenancies I think that is better for the environment.”
The developer was at the SSR stage in order to make a land use redesignation on four hectares of land, part of which is already developed within the Stewart Creek Golf Course footprint.
The Stewart Creek areas structure plan requires a redesignation of land use to allow resort accommodation units, of which 20 are proposed. The ASP also identifies the site as being appropriate for that type of use.
Developer Jessica Karpat said the development will bring $22 million in assessed commercial value to the community and up to 50 per cent of the site will retain natural landscaping.
“That means the maximum of 20 units will be clustered on a smaller area of the site, leaving the remaining area untouched or in its current state,” she said.
The application for land use for the accommodation units was accompanied by an application to designate 25 acres of the surrounding area as a wildlands conservation district under the LUB.
As for environmental mitigations for wildlife, Ollenberger said fortunately the nearby golf course has over a decade of experience and a track record of addressing those concerns.
The golf course has a wildlife safety plan that provides a framework for management including staff training, signage, record keeping and protocols to report all sightings to Fish and Wildlife.
Ollenberger also pointed to the landscape and steep elevations throughout the area as natural barriers to prevent human and wildlife interactions.
“It is really not terrain where people will be wandering out the door and having a look see,” he said.
